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Antigua

by

Fred. J. Melville,

President of the Junior
Philatelic Society.

MCMXXIX. PUBLISHED BY THE
PHILATELIC INSTITUTE LONDON
26, PLUMSTEAD HIGH ST., S.E.18.

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

Antigua has long held an alphabetical prominence in the forefront of
the catalogue of the postage stamps of the British Empire, but this is
the first occasion on which a book has been devoted to the stamps of
this Island Presidency.

In these times of specialisation, the small colony with a
comparatively limited range of stamp issues, claims more and more
attention from the collector who finds the big countries too much for
his time and purse. That Antigua has the merit of philatelic
compactness is readily discernible from the limited space her stamps
occupy in the catalogues. That her few issues are of philatelic
interest and merit the attention of specialists, we have endeavoured
to show in the present volume.

Our thanks are due to the Rev. C. S. Morton, Mr. Harry E. Huber,
Captain L. J. Gilbert-Lodge, and Captain A. E. Hopkins, for
information and useful suggestions, and in the case of Captain
Hopkins, for kindly undertaking the revision of the proofs.

Antigua.

CHAPTER I.

Early Postal Arrangements.

Antigua is one of the five Presidencies, and is the seat of government
of the Leeward Islands Colony. Two lesser islands, Barbuda and
Redonda, are Dependencies. Antigua has an area of 108 square miles,
population 32,000; Barbuda, sixty-two square miles; and Redonda. The
chief town is St. John's, with a population of 9,300.

Discovered by Columbus, in 1493, the island was named after the church
of Santa Maria la Antigua in Seville; its first settlement was 1632,
when a few settlers went there from St. Christopher. The island was
bestowed by patent of King Charles II. on Lord Willoughby, in 1663,
when a large number of colonists were sent out. In 1667, a French raid
from Martinique took possession of the island, but it was restored to
the British by the Treaty of Breda in the same year.; it has since
remained a British Possession.

The comparative prosperity of the colony, chiefly producing sugar,
with its extracts molasses and rum, and cotton, has suffered frequent
and serious set-backs from hurricanes, earthquakes and fire, but has
always made a good recovery. In 1854, the Treasurer of the
island,[10] Thomas Price, wrote, "Antigua is like a cat with nine
lives; she somehow always lights upon her legs."

In common with other West Indian islands, the "Antegoa" is specified
in the list of postage rates prescribed in the Act 9 Anne c. 10 (1710)
and its early postal history runs parallel with that of Nevis,
Jamaica, etc., already outlined in this series of monographs. Until
May 1st, 1860, the postal arrangements of the colony were controlled
by the British Postmaster-General from London. An internal post was
set up by the island authorities in March, 1841, between St. John's
and English Harbour, under the postmastership of Mr. Scotland, but
this was a tentative arrangement, pending receipt of instructions from
London, and it was probably interrupted by the destructive fire, which
did extensive damage to the commercial quarters of St. John's on April
2nd, 1841.

The Rev. C. S. Morton has traced some interesting correspondence
concerning local and official complaints against the postmaster, Mr.
Scotland, a member of a noted family in Antigua. The Governor, through
his Assistant Private Secretary, complained of delays in delivering
despatches, and required the postmaster to transmit all letters
immediately they were received to the office of the Assistant Private
Secretary. Mr. Scotland courteously declined, and he was upheld by the
Postmaster-General:

1.—The duties of Postmaster of this island are already
sufficient to occupy his close attention.

2.—He cannot leave his office, and his income forbids him
employing a clerk or messenger.

3.—There is no precedent in any Post Office in the West Indies
for so doing.

On appeal to London, the Postmaster-General replied that "no provision
was made or was considered necessary in any Colony for the delivery of
letters and despatches otherwise than at the Post Office. If, however,
the Governor specially desired, the Postmaster could employ a special
messenger, but at His Excellency's expense."[11]

The Postmaster's salary was £80 a year, a remuneration Mr.
Scotland received from 1840 until his death in February, 1850.

Of this officer of the Posts in a distant Colony, a surveyor sent out
on two occasions from London to investigate complaints concerning the
postal service, reported: "I know no postmaster by whom the duties are
performed more correctly or more creditably; the only cause of his
unpopularity (as connected with the office of Postmaster) is his
strict acting up to the regulations of the Department, and refusing to
deviate therefrom in the smallest instance, this circumstance lays him
open to the charge of causing inconvenience to the public."

At this period, letters arriving by the Mail Packets at English
Harbour, were sent round to St. John's by boat, and there was an
omnibus company which conveyed inland letters by road between the two
towns. A proposal to establish an official postal route by road
between the two places, involving as it would the setting up of a post
office at English Harbour, with a postmaster in charge, was turned
down as too costly. The omnibus company offered to undertake the
conveyance of mails thrice weekly, in each direction, at a charge of
£31 4s. per annum. This, with an allowance of £10 for the
Postmaster at English Harbour, meant an expenditure of £41 4s.,
while the postage fees were estimated at fourpence per letter, to
produce but £26.

Mr. Scotland's daughter, Mrs. Mary Cumming, succeeded to the office of
Postmaster on February 15th, 1850, and in forwarding an application
for an increased remuneration, the Governor, who stated she was
"satisfactory and obliging," pointed out that the salaries of the post
office of St. Kitts and Dominica were £120 and £100
respectively, while at Antigua, where the duties were more important
and laborious, the remuneration amounted to no more than £80.

The application was not granted by the Postmaster-General, and Mrs.
Cumming resigned the office after[12] four years; William Mercer was
appointed in her stead, May 1st, 1854.

The privilege of using English stamps was accorded to the British West
Indian Colonies in 1858, and the 1d. rose-red of 1857, the 2d. blue of
1858, plate numbers 7, 8 and 9, 4d. rose of 1857, 6d. lilac and 1s.
green of 1856 are known with the postmark "A02" of St. John's,
Antigua. A sub-office was opened at English Harbour, and received the
postmark "A18," but the only English stamp found with this postmark is
the 6d. lilac of 1856 without corner letters, and this is of
considerable rarity. The "A02" obliterator was sent out from England
on April 17th, 1858, and the "A18" on June 1st, 1858.

Following upon Mr. Anthony Trollope's official visit of investigation
to the West Indies on behalf of the British Postmaster-General in
1858, the policy of handing over the administration of the island post
offices to the Colonial Governments, which had long been under
consideration, was put into effect. The Colonial Governments were
notified that the home Post Office Department would cease to charge
itself with the management of the West Indian Posts from May 1st,
1860, from which date the local administration would have to take
control.

The Duke of Newcastle, Secretary of State for the Colonies, forwarded
on March 4th, 1860, to Lieutenant-Governor Eyre, a copy of the
following letter (dated February 21st, 1860) respecting the transfer
of the Post Office at Antigua to the control of the local government.

G.P.O.—February 21st, 1860.

"I have laid before the Postmaster-General your letter of the 14th
inst. forwarding a copy of the despatch from the officer
administrating the Government in Chief of the Leeward Islands,
respecting the transfer of the Post Office at Antigua to the control
of the Colonial Governments, and I am directed by His Lordship to
offer the following observations with reference to the statement of
Governor Eyre that the Colony accept the transfer on condition of
one-sixth of the whole postage inter-colonial as well as between Great
Britain and Antigua[13] being allowed to the Colony towards meeting
the cost of the local establishment.

"According to the arrangement originally laid down, one-sixth of the
postage on letters sent from the Colony to the United Kingdom will
belong to the Colonial Post Office, but the same proportion of the
postage chargeable on inter-colonial letters despatched to and from
Antigua by packet cannot be given up to the Colonial Post Office.

"The British packet rate of 4d. per ½oz. levied upon the latter
class of letters represents the sea rate only and belongs wholly to
the Imperial Post Office.

"Instead of one-sixth of such postage, however, the Colonial Post
Office will be at liberty to levy its own internal rates upon the
inter-colonial letters in addition to the British postage.

"With reference to the expense of conveying the mails by land from
English Harbour to St. John's, I have to state that as this expense is
incurred in consequence of a deviation on the part of the Royal Mail
Steam Packet Company from the terms of their Contract, it will
continue to be paid by this Department and reclaimed from the Company.

"The Postmaster-General requests that the Duke of Newcastle will be so
good as to cause a reply to the above effect to be made to the
Governor of Antigua, at the same time pointing out to him that the
date fixed for the transfer of the posts to Colonial control has been
changed from 1st April to the 1st May next.

I am Sir,Your most obedient servant,F. Hill."

The Post Office Act of Antigua was passed on April 24th, 1860. It
established the following rates: one penny the ½oz., twopence
for 1oz., fourpence for 2oz., and heavier letters in proportion, and
provided that all letters be prepaid by money or stamp affixed.

By virtue of this Act, William Mercer was re-appointed Postmaster at
St. John's on April 30th, 1860, and his salary, increased to
£100, was thenceforward paid from[14] the Colonial Treasury,
and Miss Ryding was appointed on May 17th, 1861, as Postmaster (in
place of Mr. William Ryding) at £20 per annum and an allowance
of £7 10s. for office rent at English Harbour.

William Mercer died at Christmas, 1861, and was succeeded by his wife,
Dorothy Mercer, who had assisted her husband in the duties, on
December 26th, 1861. Her daughter succeeded to the office in 1869, but
ten years later was arrested, January 5th, 1876, for embezzling
£712, but was acquitted owing to a defect in the Larceny Act.
She was dismissed from the post office.

Miss Ryding continued to act at English Harbour until the office was
abolished in 1879, when she retired with a pension. The last mail
steamer calling at English Harbour arrived there on May 17th, 1878.

CHAPTER II.

The Perkins=Bacon Stamps.

In a letter to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, the Governor
gives the first information relating to the preparation of postage
stamps:—

Leeward Islands,Antigua, 11th April, 1862.

My Lord Duke,—With reference to your Grace's circular despatch
of November 22nd last, desiring to be furnished with specimens of
postage stamps used in the Leeward Islands to be produced at the
International Exhibition, I have the honour to state that I directed
Mr. Houghton (162, New Bond Street) to forward to your Grace's
Department the postage stamps he is preparing for Antigua.

(2)—I have the honour to enclose specimens of postage stamps
used in Nevis of the following denominations: 1s., 6d., 4d. and 1d.

(3)—Postage stamps are not at present used in[16] Dominica, St.
Kitts, Montserrat, or the Virgin Islands.

E. A. B. Hamilton, Governor.

The Mr. Houghton referred to in the above letter was probably an
intermediary acting as agent for the Colonial government.

Antigua's philatelic history commences with an engraved stamp from the
house of Perkins, Bacon and Co., London. This firm engraved and
produced the first adhesive postage stamps of Great Britain in 1840,
stamps, the simple beauty and utility of which have never been
surpassed by any other methods of manufacture. There was a family
resemblance about most of the early Perkins-Bacon stamps, in the
mounting of a simple profile of Queen Victoria on a ground of finely
reticulated lines. The head dies used for the Colonial stamps were
different from those used for the English stamps, but in a few cases
the general treatment of the stamp as a whole brings the design into
somewhat close approximation to the English stamp.

This family connection is easily recognisable in the first stamp of
Antigua, on which is a diademed profile to left of the Queen, on the
finely reticulated rectangular ground, with tablets of colour above
and below the profile, bearing the simple uncoloured inscriptions
antigua (above) and six pence (below). The drawing of this Queen's
head has been attributed to Mr. Edward Henry Corbould, whose
water-colour drawings of the royal portrait, profile and full-face,
had been used as models for the engraving of the earliest New Zealand,
Natal, Ceylon and St. Helena stamps. The engraving of the profile is
attributed to Charles Henry Jeens,[1] and this was also used (as an
oval medallion) for the Turks Islands stamps of 1867. The first
Antigua die, according to an old engraving book of Messrs. Perkins,
Bacon and Co., was finished May 10th, 1862.

The completed die, with inscriptions, was transferred [17]to a steel plate of 120 set, ten
horizontal rows of twelve, the plate being thus about one half the
size of the majority of the early British and Colonial plates
constructed by Messrs. Perkins, Bacon and Co. This plate was completed
June 7th, 1862.

The first order for stamps was for a sixpence denomination, destined
mainly to be used for the unit letter rate of postage from the colony
to Great Britain, 6d. per ½oz. The first consignment of 8,000
sixpence stamps was sent out on July 1st, 1862, just two years after
the date on which the transfer of the control of the post office had
taken place. These stamps were printed in blue-green on a dull white
wove paper, without watermark, and are rough perforated 14 to 16. This
perforating machine is the one which was constructed for the printers
in 1860 by Mr. James Griffiths, of Clerkenwell, a single-line machine
with a twenty-three inch bed-plate. The punches were not ranged in
perfect uniformity, which accounts for the different gauges of
perforation produced along the twenty-three inch line. The machine, so
far as its use on Antiguan stamps is concerned, was in a worn and
somewhat clogged state, which corresponds to the description given by
Messrs. Bacon and Napier in their Grenada handbook[2] as the "A2" perforation,
i.e., the A or Griffiths machine in its blunted or clogged state.

Another perforating machine was used in conjunction with the one
gauging 14 to 16; this was a smaller machine, having a length capacity
of twelve inches, and an irregular gauge 11 to 13. This is Messrs.
Bacon and Napier's "B" machine, but wherever it occurs in compound
with the A2 machine, it distinguishes stamps from trial sheets, and
although unused specimens are familiar to collectors, they were not
issued in the colony. Captain A. E. Hopkins points out that this perf.
11 to 13 does not exist alone, only in compound with 14 to 16.

Imperforate proofs from the plate are known in black and in
yellowish-green, on a thick paper without water[18]mark. There is
also a plate proof in green on hard semi-transparent paper. This is
always found cancelled with a thick vertical pen stroke.

The sixpence, blue-green, perforated 14 to 16, was issued in the
colony in August, 1862.

A very marked re-entry has been recorded on the plate of this stamp,
the position of which has now been located with certainty, and is the
second stamp in the third horizontal row. This position has only
recently been fixed from a block in the possession of Captain L. J.
Gilbert-Lodge, F.R.P.S.L. There is another re-entry, not so
pronounced, which was discovered by the Rev. W. G. Iremonger, but the
position of this has not yet been determined.

In the official list of the island's Revenue for 1862, there is an
item "Post Office Stamp Account £11 9s. 6d." which presumably
means that 459 were used in that year. There is a separate Post Office
Revenue item of £59 11s. 2d., making a total of £71 0s.
8d. on the Revenue side, while the expenditure is nearly balanced at
£70 16s. 3d.

On September 26th, 1862, a short Act of two clauses was passed for the
prepayment of postage by affixing a stamp on inter-colonial letters.
The stamps of the appropriate denomination, one penny, were thereupon
ordered from Messrs. Perkins, Bacon and Co.

The next deliveries of stamps were 8,000 of the Sixpence, despatched
November 14th, 1862, and 96,000 One Penny stamps shipped on December
12th, 1862. Each of these consignments consisted of stamps printed on
the paper watermarked "small star," the Sixpence in a blue-green
approximating to the original issue, the One Penny stamps of identical
design, adapted from the same original die as the Sixpence, being
printed from a plate of 120 set in a lilac-rose colour. The One Penny
die was in hand November 13th, and the plate was completed November
24th, 1862.

The plate for the One Penny stamps has yielded two re-entries, one
above the other, the eighth stamp in each of the two top rows.
[19]

The perforation was, as before, the irregular 14 to 16, but here again
we get unused specimens of the One Penny rosy-mauve perforated 11-13
by 14-16, from some trial sheets which were never issued in the
colony.

Imperforate and partly imperforate copies are known of each value.

On the subject of the imperforates, Mr. E. D. Bacon wrote in the
"Monthly Report of the Herts Philatelic Society," 1907-1908 (p.
27):—

"All the supplies of stamps sent out to the island were roughly
perforated 14 to 16, with the exception of a small number of
specimens, which were through inadvertence either left imperforate or
partly so. I have myself seen imperforate specimens of the One Penny
lilac-rose (i.e., Gibbons' rosy-mauve) and the Sixpence yellow-green,
star watermarked stamps, which certainly appear to have satisfactory
margins, and a note in Messrs. Collin and Calman's 'Catalogue for
Advanced Collectors,' p. 11, says: 'both the 1d. and 6d. imperforated
exist in unsevered pairs in collections in this country' (i.e., in the
United States). I have not been able to trace an imperforate pair of
the Sixpence, with star watermark,[3] but a postmarked, imperforate
pair of the One Penny lilac-rose was at any rate in the possession of
the late Mr. C. H. Brock, of Philadelphia, and was sold with Part II.
of his collection by public auction in New York on March 3rd, 1890,
for $16.00. This pair of stamps passed into the hands of Mr. F. de
Coppet, and was again sold by public auction in New York on April 3,
1893, on the disposal of his collection, this time for $91.50![4] There is also a description
of an imperforate pair of the One Penny lilac-rose in 'Le Timbre
Poste' for September, 1889, but it is quite likely that this is the
same pair as that owned by Mr. Brock and afterwards by Mr. F. de
Coppet. The only [20]reference I have found in the magazines to an
imperforate specimen of the Sixpence is that in the 'Philatelic
Record' for August, 1887: 'Antigua.—We have seen the Sixpence
green, on paper watermarked with star, imperforated. As it seems
satisfactory, we suppose it has been taken from a sheet which escaped,
or partially escaped, the former clumsy perforation of Messrs. Bacon
and Co.' These imperforate specimens must, as the writer in the
'Philatelic Record' says, have come from sheets which had either
entirely or partly escaped the perforation. Quite possibly the latter,
as the Tapling collection contains a postmarked horizontal strip of
three of the One Penny, orange-vermilion, without any vertical
perforation."

From the same two plates, Messrs. Perkins, Bacon and Co. continued to
print the One Penny and Sixpence Antiguan stamps until 1871, their
final consignment being despatched on July 6th of that year. During
the whole period the small star paper, and the irregular rough
perforation 14 to 16 were continued. The colours varied in successive
printings. The One Penny at first lilac-rose, afterwards dull rose
(1864) and orange-vermilion (1867) with intermediate shades. The
Sixpence varies from a deep blue-green to a pale yellow-green.

During the entire period of their association with Antiguan postage
stamps, Messrs. Perkins, Bacon and Co. despatched 479,600 One Penny
stamps, and 194,120 Sixpence stamps, and the separate consignments are
on record in their books. These consignments are given in detail
below, and to them we have added a note of the colour in the case of
the One Penny stamps; the date of the introduction of the yellow-green
for the Sixpence has not been ascertained with any certainty.

Sixpence.

1862

July 1

8,000

No Watermark.

1862

Nov. 14

8,000

Wmk. star.

1863

June 12

8,000

"

1863

Aug. 26

20,000

"

1864

Sept. 7

10,000

"

1865

June 10

20,000

"

1866

May 14

16,000

"

1867

July 8

8,040

"

1867

Oct. 7

6,480

"

1867

Dec. 12

6,400

"

1868

March 10

6,400

"

1868

June 25

6,400

"

1868

Oct. 1

6,400

"

1869

April 12

6,400

"

1869

June 15

6,400

"

1869

Oct. 11

6,400

"

1870

Jan. 4

6,400

"

1870

April 5

6,400

"

1870

June 30

6,400

"

1870

Oct. 6

6,400

"

1871

Jan. 5

6,400

"

1871

April 6

6,400

"

1871

July 6

6,400

"

One Penny.
(All watermarked star.)

1862

Dec. 12

96,000

Lilac-rose.

1864

April 27

24,000

"

1864

Sept. 7

36,000

Rose.

1865

June 10

60,000

"

1866

May 14

24,000

"

1867

July 8

24,000

"

1867

Oct. 7

14,400

Orange-vermilion.

1867

Dec. 12

14,400

"

1868

March 10

14,400

"

1868

June 25

14,400

"

1868

Oct. 1

14,400

"

1869

Apr. 12

14,400

"

1869

June 15

14,400

"

1869

Oct. 11

14,400

"

1870

Jan. 4

14,400

"

1870

April 5

14,400

"

1870

June 30

14,400

"

1870

Oct. 6

14,400

"

1871

Jan. 5

14,400

"

1871

April 6

14,400

"

1871

July 6

14,400

"

CHAPTER III.

De La Rue Issues.

On November 23rd, 1871, the two plates from which Messrs. Perkins,
Bacon and Co. had printed all the Antiguan stamps up to that date were
handed over to new contractors, Messrs. De la Rue and Co., who have
printed all the postage stamps of the colony since that time.
Normally, a consignment of stamps was due to be sent out about the
date of the transfer of the plates, for none had been despatched since
July 6th; Messrs. De la Rue and Co. despatched their first consignment
of Antiguan stamps on December 14th, 1871, and they were issued in the
Presidency early in 1872. These were printed on the paper in general
use for stamps supplied to the order of the Crown Agents by Messrs. De
la Rue at that time, watermarked Crown CC, and they were perforated
12½. The One Penny was at first in a lake, and in a subsequent
printing in a scarlet colour; the Sixpence is in a blue-green.

The perforation was 12½ by the single-line machine which the
new printers had been using since 1863 on all[23] the recess-plate
printed stamps from Perkins, Bacon and Co.'s plates.

About 1875, a new single-line perforating machine, gauging 14, was
used on the stamps, and the printings with this perforation are in
lake and lake-rose for the One Penny and blue-green for the Sixpence.

On March, 1866, an Act had reduced the rate to be charged for each
registered letter from sixpence to fourpence, such sum to be divided
in equal portions between the Imperial Government and the Antiguan
Post Office. No stamp of the appropriate denomination was issued
however until 1879, when Antigua having been admitted (July 1st) to
the Universal Postal Union, new stamps of the denominations
2½d. and 4d. were produced. Copies of the 1d. bisected, and
used with whole stamps to prepay a 2½d. rate exist, but were
never authorised or indeed permitted so to be used.

These new values were surface printed by Messrs. De la Rue and Co.
from the earliest type of the key-plate introduced by that firm for
the economical production of stamps for many colonies. Although
generally referred to as the Cyprus type of key-plate its earliest use
was for Antigua in 1879, this key-plate being adapted by the Virgin
Islands next (1880), then Cyprus (1881), Turks Islands (1881), St.
Lucia (1883) and Natal (1887). The design is a diademed profile of the
Queen to left on a background of horizontal lines; the inner
configuration of the design is octagonal, with small foliate ornaments
at the spandrels, and an outer rectangular frame leaving uncoloured
panels at top and bottom, for the addition at a second printing of the
"duty-plate" of the name of the colony and the denomination. These
were printed in sheets of sixty on paper watermarked Crown CC, and
were perforated 14. The 2½d. is in red-brown and the 4d. in
blue. These were all of the "Die I." of the colonial key-plate, with
marginal plate number 1.

With the adoption of the new watermark Crown over CA (instead of CC)
in 1882, the next Antiguan stamps appeared printed on the new paper,
the two surface[24]-printed stamps of 1879, 2½d. red-brown and
4d. blue, being supplemented by an additional value, Half Penny dull
green, all perforated 14.

In 1884, a printing of the One Penny from the old intaglio plate in
the carmine-red colour was perforated on one of the old, and
all-but-discarded perforating machines, the one gauging (barely) 12,
which was probably the first of its kind to be installed by Messrs. De
la Rue and Co. Its resuscitation after an interval of twenty years
provides the only lapse from the usual perf. 14 throughout the
printings of Antiguan stamps from 1875 to date. This stamp with the 12
perforation, in scarlet, has been chronicled, but this is a colour
changeling.

There was probably only the one printing which was perforated 12, and
in the same year the One Penny stamp, still in carmine-red and on the
CA paper, appeared perforated 14. It was followed in 1885 by the 6d.
in deep green, with the same watermark and perforation. In 1886, the
colours of the 2½d. and 4d. were interchanged, and the
2½d. appeared in ultramarine, and the 4d. in red-brown. A new
value, 1s. printed in mauve, in the key-plate type, on CA paper and
perforated 14 was added in this year and completes the series. The
key-plate 2 was used for the 2½d. ultramarine, the 4d.
red-brown and the 1s. mauve; the ½d. green occurs in plate
numbers 1 and 2.

A small variety of the 2½d. blue consists of a damaged "2," due
to a defect on the duty-plate, at the first stamp of the third row of
the right-hand pane. The original damage occurred soon after 1879.
Captain A. E. Hopkins has a copy of the 2½d. brown CC showing
the variety.

Imperforate proofs exist of the surface-printed stamps on CA paper as
follows:—½d. green, ½d. yellow, 1d. carmine,
2½d. brown, 2½d. ultramarine, 4d. blue, 4d. red-brown
and 1s. mauve. Unissued varieties, of which a few specimens are known,
are the ½d. in yellow-buff, olive, and lilac, and the 1d. in
sepia, on CA paper, and perforated 12.[25]

The One Penny "Stamp Duty" long fiscal stamp, printed in blue and
indigo is found with the bogus overprint, reading POSTAGE &
REVENUE in sans serif capitals in black, with a bar cancelling the
words stamp duty. This was alleged to have been issued and used as a
provisional penny postage stamp in 1885-1886, but it was never issued
in Antigua, and was the invention of a European swindler. The fiscal
stamp in question is known without any overprint, apparently postally
used, as also are the threepence and one shilling fiscal stamps; but
there is no satisfactory evidence of their having been admitted for
postage.

A Proclamation of October 30th, 1890, announced the supercession as
from the following day, October 31st, of the several distinctive
issues of stamps for Antigua, St. Christopher, Nevis, Dominica,
Montserrat, and the Virgin Islands, by one uniform series of postage
stamps for the Leeward Islands group. From that time onward the stamps
used in Antigua are only to be distinguished from those used in the
other presidencies of the Leeward Islands by their postmarks, and for
thirteen years, until 1903, the series of separate stamps for Antigua
was as a closed book. We shall see in the next chapter that the book
has been re-opened, but to conclude the record of the first period it
should be noted that the remainders of the stocks of the several stamp
denominations of Antigua were included in the great sale of the
Leeward Island stamp remainders in 1892, and the steel plate for the
One Penny and the duty-plates for the ½d., 2½d., 4d. and
1s. were totally destroyed in 1894; the key-plate being in use for
other colonial postage stamps was not destroyed. The original steel
plate for the Sixpence was at the same time defaced, and delivered in
cancelled condition to Messrs. T. H. Thompson and Co., Bishop
Auckland, who purchased the Leeward Island remainders. Mr. T. H.
Thompson subsequently presented this defaced plate to the Leinster
Collection of Postage Stamps in the Science and Art Museum, Dublin,
where it is on view in a frame. The plate measures about thirteen
inches square,[26] bears ten horizontal rows of twelve stamps,
cancelled with diagonal lines; it bears no plate number.

From January 1st, 1891, the postage on a half-ounce letter from any of
the Leeward Islands to Great Britain was reduced from 4d. to
2½d., and the inter-island rate was fixed at 1d. per half-ounce
letter.

CHAPTER IV.

The Large Seal Stamps.

The Virgin Islands reverted to a separate stamp issue in 1899, but the
other Presidencies of the Leeward Islands Colony continued to use the
uniform colonial stamps until 1903, when separate issues were
authorised by the Executive Council.

Order in Council.

At a meeting of the Executive Council of the Leeward Islands at
Government House, Antigua, on Monday, the 29th June, 1903.

Whereas by Section 3 of the Leeward Islands General Stamp Act, 1890,
it is provided (inter alia) that there shall be a uniform stamp or
stamps for use throughout the Colony whereby all postage rates and
stamp duties shall be expressed.[28]

And whereas by Section 3 of the Leeward Islands Stamp Act, 1902, it is
provided that the Governor may from time to time by Order in Council
direct that a special stamp or stamps may he used in each or any
Presidency concurrently with such uniform stamp or stamps as
aforesaid.

Now therefore it is hereby ordered by the Governor in Council as
follows:—

On and after the third day of July, 1903, special stamps may be used
in the Presidencies of Antigua, St. Christopher-Nevis, Dominica, and
Montserrat, concurrently with the uniform stamps now in use throughout
the Colony of the Leeward Islands.

The several values of the said special stamps in the said Presidencies
shall be ½d., 1d., 2d., 2½d., 3d., 6d., 1s., 2s., 2s.
6d., and 5s. The postcards shall be Single: ½d., 1d.; Reply:
2d. The wrappers shall be ½d., 1d. The envelopes shall be 1d.,
2½d.; and Registration envelopes shall be, large and small.

The design of the special stamps for the Presidency of Antigua shall
be the same as that on the Public Seal of the Presidency for all
values with the exception of the 5s., which stamp will bear the design
of the head of His Majesty the King.

(Here follow descriptions of designs for the other Presidencies.)

The postcards, wrappers and envelopes of the several Presidencies
shall bear designs similar to those of the minor values of the postage
stamps.

Made in the Executive Council of the Leeward Islands this 20th day of
June, 1903.

A. E. Eldridge,Acting Clerk to the Council.

The new stamps for Antigua, although announced for August 3rd, were
actually issued in July, 1903. They are of uniform large size for all
ten values, the design for the values from ½d. to 2s. 6d.
showing the Royal Arms[29] and the Seal of Antigua, of which Mr.
George Milne gives a detailed description:—[5]

"In this design, the Royal Arms in use for England is placed above the
Seal of Antigua. The device on the disc being the seal used for
Antigua by the Presidency of the Leeward Islands.

"The imperial crown is placed above the garter which encloses the
shield, the garter is of a dark blue with border, buckle and pendant
of gold, on it in letters of gold the motto: 'HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y
PENSE' ('Dishonour to him who thinks ill of it,') and not, as it is
commonly rendered, 'Evil to him that evil thinks.'

"Supporters:—Upon the dexter side, a lion guardant, or, crowned
as in the crest, upon the sinister side, a unicorn argent, armed,
crined, and unguled or, gorged with a coronet composed of crosses
pattée and fleurs-de-lys, a chain affixed thereto passing
between the forelegs and reflexed over the back of the last.

"Motto:—'DIEU ET MON DROIT' in the compartment below the shield
and thereon the union badge of the rose, thistle, and shamrock
engrafted on the same stem. This motto, 'Dieu et mon droit,' is the
French for 'God and my right,' being the motto of the English
Sovereigns. (The words were the countersign chosen by Richard I.
before the Battle of Gisors, 1198, where he defeated the French.)

"Explanation of Supporters:—On the right side of shield (i.e.,
the right of the supposed bearer of the shield) a gold lion in erect
position, one hind paw on the ground, the other three paws elevated,
the animal looking out from the shield, and having his tail elevated,
on his head is a gold crown same as in crest. On the left side of
shield a unicorn (a fictitious animal) in silver, with teeth, mane and
hoofs all in gold, and encircled round the throat with a small crown,
which is set with crosses [30]pattée and fleur-de-lys
alternately. Attached to this 'coronet' or small crown is a chain
which passes between and is carried backwards over the forelegs.

"Antigua Seal:—The disc under the Royal Arms contains a
representation of the seal of Antigua. This seal is one of six devices
used as seals by the Presidencies of the Leeward Islands for Antigua,
Dominica, St. Christopher, Nevis, Montserrat, and the Virgin Islands,
and these six seals are represented on the Arms of the Leeward Islands
on six small shields, the seal of Antigua occupying the position of
"dexter chief."

"The seal of Antigua is a landscape coloured proper (i.e., in natural
colourings).

"This central device is printed from the key-plate, while the frame,
bearing the inscription 'ANTIGUA POSTAGE REVENUE,' and the value is
printed from the duty-plate.

"For the 5s., a small oval portrait medallion of King Edward VII.,
after Mr. Emil Fuchs' model, is printed by the key-plate, and the
ornate frame with shield-shaped opening and all inscriptions are
printed by the duty-plate. For the 5s. the value is denoted in figures
in each of the upper angles, in addition to the words at the base."

The stamps were at first printed in sheets of sixty on ordinary Crown
over CC paper; the perforation throughout is a comb perforation 14.
The stamps were received at St. John's, Antigua, on June 13th, 1903,
and comprised all values; a second printing of the ½d., 2d.,
3d. and 6d. on the same paper was received there on June 9th, 1904,
while a third supply of three values only, 2½d., 1s. and 5s.,
reached the Colony in January, 1906, was still on CC paper, but
chalk-surfaced instead of ordinary. The quantities printed on the CC
paper were as follows:—

Although printed in 1905, the year in which the chalk-surfacing was
introduced, the Antiguan chalkies did not begin to appear until 1907.
The halfpenny black and green, watermarked Crown over CC was
chronicled on chalky paper in 1907, and was catalogued for several
years, but there is no record of any printing of this stamp on
chalk-surfaced paper, and it has now been deleted from the catalogues.

A very late printing of the penny black and carmine on Crown CC paper
was on a distinctly bluish paper; supplies were distributed by Ewen's
Colonial Stamp Market in July, 1909, and the variety is said to have
been "otherwise practically unobtainable." It is quite a scarce item.

CHAPTER V.

Multiple "Crown C.A."

In January, 1907, "Der Philatelist" reported from "specimen" copies,
the ½d. green and 2½d. blue, monocoloured stamps on the
multiple Crown over CA paper, but the first of the stamps to appear on
the new paper was the 2½d. blue, monocoloured, issued in
January, 1908. A supply of 6,300 had been received in the Colony at
the beginning of the year and they were described ("E.W.S.N." 14-3-08)
as on ordinary paper but much thicker than usual.[6] The 1s. on the new paper,
chalk-surfaced, followed in February 1908. A further quantity of
12,000 2½d. blue and 6,180 1s. blue and purple were received in
the island on July 15th, 1908. The all-green ½d. on the new
paper (ordinary) did not appear until April, 1909, and the all-rose
1d. in the following July, and two months later this was reported on a
thinner paper (issued September, 1909). The ½d. green and
2½d. blue were noted as issued in November, 1909 on thinner
paper. The 6d. purple and black appeared in August, [33]1911, the 2d.
purple and brown, 3d. grey-green and orange-brown, and 2s. green and
violet appeared in February, 1912, all these four being
chalk-surfaced.

The 5s. from a new key-plate bearing the profile of King George V. on
a medallion, within the same border plate as the King Edward stamp,
appeared in grey-green and violet on chalky paper about July, 1913.
There was a further supply of this 5s. received in the Colony in
February, 1914, with slight variations in shade.

In September, 1915, some new shades were noted, printed on paper with
a yellowish gum, instead of white, except in the case of the 1d. in
bright scarlet (in place of carmine), which is on thin paper with
white gum. The new printing of the ½d. was in deep green, on
thick paper. The following were on chalky-surfaced paper:—2d.
dull purple and red-brown, 6d. magenta and grey-black, and 1s. deep
blue and dark purple.

Early in 1917 the Post Office ran out of ½d. and 1d. stamps; in
new printings of these, the ½d. was in dull blue-green, and the
1d. in deep scarlet, on a rather thicker paper than the scarlet 1d. of
1915. On August, 1918, new shades of the 2½d. in deep blue and
the 3d. deep green and bright orange appeared. The 1d. in a dark red,
sometimes described as aniline, as it appears to have saturated the
paper and shows through to the back, appeared on September 29th,
1919.[34]

Known printings on the multiple Crown CA paper:—

1907

1908

1909

½d.

3,120

[a]

—

30,180

[b]

1d.

—

—

30,040

2d.

—

—

—

2½d.

3,120

[a]

18,300

[b]

—

3d.

—

—

—

6d.

—

—

—

1s.

1,560

6,180

—

2s.

—

—

—

5s. (K.G.)

—

—

—

1910

1911

1912

½d.

30,720

—

—

1d.

30,480

30,720

—

2d.

—

—

—

2½d.

—

12,180

—

3d.

—

—

—

6d.

—

6,000

—

1s.

—

—

—

2s.

—

—

—

5s. (K.G.)

—

—

—

(a)—thick paper. (b)—thin paper.

CHAPTER VI.

War Stamps.

From September 1st, 1916, an additional tax on letters originating in
the Colony and posted to places in the British Empire was imposed, and
this was extended as from February 1st, 1917, to letters posted to the
United States. The Post Office notified the public in the following
documents:—

Rule I.

Made by the Governor-in-Council under the Authority of Leeward Islands
Act No. 9 of 1909.

In addition to the postage now chargeable on letters posted in the
Presidencies of Antigua, St. Kitts-Nevis and Dominica, and addressed
to any place in the United Kingdom, or in any other part of the
British Empire, outside the Colony of the Leeward Islands, there shall
be charged on every such letter the following additional
postage:—

On every such letter
½d.

This rule shall come into effect on the 1st September, 1916, and shall
remain in force until the 31st day of March, 1917.

Made by the Governor-in-Council under the authority of Section 6 of
Leeward Islands Act No. 9 of 1909 this 9th day of August, 1916.

Made by the Governor-in-Council under the Authority of Leeward Islands
Act No. 9 of 1909.

In addition to the postage now chargeable on letters posted in the
Presidency of Antigua, St. Kitts-Nevis and Dominica, and addressed to
any place in the United States of America there shall be charged on
every such letter the following additional postage:—

On every such letter
½d.

This rule shall come into effect on the 1st February, 1917.

Made by the Governor-in-Council under the authority of Section 6 of
Leeward Islands Act No. 9 of 1909 this 29th day of December, 1916.

(Sd.) E. D'A. Tibbits,Clerk of the Council.

Rule III.

Made by the Governor-in-Council under the Authority of Leeward Islands
Act No. 9 of 1909.

In addition to the postage now chargeable on letters posted in the
Presidencies of Antigua, St. Kitts-Nevis and Dominica, and addressed
to any place in the United Kingdom or in any part of the British
Empire, outside the Colony of the Leeward Islands, there shall be
charged on every such letter the following additional postage:—

On every such letter
½d.

This rule shall come into effect on the 1st April, 1917, and shall
remain in force until rescinded.

Made by the Governor-in-Council under the authority of Section 6 of
Leeward Islands Act No. 9 of 1909, this 12th day of February, 1917.

The first supply of ½d. stamps overprinted "war stamp" in one
line in black, were of a deep blue-green shade, on paper of medium
thickness, and reached the colony in time for the coming into
operation of Rule I. as quoted above on September 1st, 1916. The
overprint in even sans serif capitals was printed from a stereotyped
plate cast from a setting of sixty repetitions of the words in
printer's type. A second printing in circulation in October was on
appreciably thicker paper, with a dull thin gum, instead of the
colourless shiny gum of the first printing.

In April, 1917, the Colonial Office Journal announced the impending
change to a red instead of a black overprint, and these stamps with
red overprint were despatched on May 25th, but were not placed on sale
in the Island until October 1st, 1917. The stamp was in a dull green
on thin paper, and the overprint from the same stereotype plate is in
bright red, but there are variations in the paper, from thin to medium
and extra thick, and in the shades of the green and of the overprinted
red colour.

Early in 1918 it was decided to provide a single stamp to cover the
ordinary and additional war postage, and the new value 1½d.,
issued in May, was printed in brown-orange, and overprinted "war
stamp" in black; it was never issued without the overprint. The
Order-in-Council authorising the issue was not promulgated until
February 21st, 1919.

It will be noted that although King George V. had acceded to the
Throne eight years previously, the inscription "Edwardus VII." remains
on the central portion of the stamp design, the old key-plate being
used, with, of course, a new duty-plate. There was another printing of
this stamp in 1919, in which there is a variation in shade between the
shade of frame and centre, the frame being in orange and the centre in
deep yellow.

CHAPTER VII.

Double Medallion Series.

The Crown Agents for the Colonies announced in their Bulletin,
July-September, 1920, an issue for Antigua in an entirely new design,
and on June 29th, 1921, the impending issue was dealt with in the
following:—

Order-in-Council.

Whereas it is enacted by Section 3 of the Leeward Islands General
Stamp Act, 1890, as amended by the Leeward Islands Stamp Act, 1902,
that there shall be a uniform stamp or stamps for use throughout the
Colony whereby all Postage Rates and Stamp Duties may be respectively
denoted or expressed, and such stamp or stamps shall be adhesive or
embossed or impressed, or otherwise as the Governor shall by
Order-in-Council from time to time direct: Provided that the Governor
may from time to time by Order-in-Council direct[39] that a special
stamp or stamps may be used in each or any Presidency concurrently
with such uniform stamp or stamps as aforesaid:

And whereas it is further enacted by Section 4 of the Leeward Islands
General Stamp Act, 1890, that the Governor shall from time to time by
Order-in-Council fix the design or designs and the mode in which each
design shall be used and the several values of the stamp or stamps in
accordance with the said Act:

And whereas it is desirable that there should be a special stamp of
the designs and denominations set out herein, for the use of the
Presidency of Antigua concurrently with the Stamps of the Colony:

Now, therefore, the Governor-in-Council doth hereby order and direct
as follows:—

On and after the first day of July, 1921, special stamps may be used
in the Presidency of Antigua concurrently with the uniform stamp now
in use throughout the Colony of the Leeward Islands.

The several values of the said special stamps shall be ½d.,
1d., 2d., 2½d., 3d., 6d., 1s., 2s. and 2s. 6d.

The design of the said special stamps for the Presidency of Antigua
shall be in two medallions, one containing the head of His Majesty the
King, and the other containing the device taken from the Arms of the
Public Seal of the said Presidency.

Made by the Governor-in-Council this 29th day of June, 1921.

(Sd.) E. D'A. Tibbits,Clerk of the Council.

The new stamps were of the normal small postage stamp size, which must
have come to the Antiguan business community as a boon after eighteen
years of the large stamps. The oval medallion with the profile[40] of King George V. is fringed with
pearls, and has the crown at top; this occupies the upper left portion
of the design, and it impinges on the shield containing the device of
the Antiguan Seal which occupies the lower right portion of the stamp
design. The whole of the design and inscriptions, except the value
tablet in the upper right, form the key-plate, which consists of 120
repetitions in two panes of sixty, with marginal line round each pane.
A second marginal line extends round the duty-plates so that in the
printed sheets there is a double line. The key-plate No. 1 appears
only on the bottom margins in the usual positions.

For the stamps on white paper the new Colonial stamp paper watermarked
Crown over Script CA was used, but for the stamps on coloured paper
the old Roman CA paper was used for the first printings. The values
from 3d. upward were chalk-surfaced. All the values provided for in
the Order-in-Council of June 29th, were put on sale on July 1st, 1921.

An Order-in-Council of January 9th, 1922, provided for the addition to
the above values of stamps of 1½d., 4d., 3s., 4s. and 5s., as
from February 1st, 1922, to facilitate the prepayment of postage rates
under an increased tariff which came into operation at the beginning
of the year. A further Order-in-Council authorised the issue of a
£1 stamp for June 1st. 1922. These were printed on the white
Script paper or on the coloured Roman CA papers.[41]

I cannot say how many were sold by the Crown Agents. The 2½d.
blue is sold out.[7]

The next changes were due to a re-arrangement of colours to conform
with the Postal Union standards. The 1d. was changed from red to
"blue-purple" to give it the official colour description, "bright
violet" according to the catalogue; the 2½d. from blue is now
orange; both the 1d. bright violet and 2½d. orange were issued
on September 27th, 1923.

In July, 1925, fresh supplies of the 2d., 3d. and 6d. stamps were
received and issued, and this time the 3d. was on the chalk-surfaced
pale yellow paper with the Script instead of the Roman CA watermark;
the 2d. was in a slate-grey, and the 6d. is in brown-purple and bright
purple. These were issued July 23rd.

The foreign letter rate was reduced from 3d. to 2½d. on April
1st, 1926; as a result the 2½d. stamp may be expected to revert
to its blue colour in the next supply.

CHAPTER VIII.

Remainders.

The important stock of remainders of the stamps of the several Leeward
Islands Presidencies on hand after the introduction of uniform stamps
for the Colony in 1890, was offered for sale in a circular signed by
Mr. Fred. Evans. Colonial Secretary of the Leeward Islands, under date
August 20th, 1891. The successful bidder for the entire lot was Mr. T.
H. Thompson, of Bishop Auckland, whose tender of £5,800 was
accepted in 1892; the face value of the stamps was £4,788. With
the sale were included plates, duly defaced of the first 6d. Antigua
and the Dominica key-plate, both of which are now in the Leinster
Collection at the Science and Art Museum, Dublin.

The quantities of Antiguan stamps included in these remainders
were:—

½d.

41,064

1d.

74,989

2½d.

26,0094

4d.

38,464

6d.

6,300

1s.

1,387

In 1924, instructions were received in the Colony from the Colonial
Office in London, that stocks of old stamps on hand after their
supercession by a new issue should be destroyed, there was a formal
destruction, under official supervision, of the remainder of the large
Seal type stamps, ½d., 1d., 3d. and the ½d. War Stamp,
and the 5s. King George stamp.

CHAPTER IX.

Antiguan Stamps Used Elsewhere.

The 1d. carmine and the 1d. rose, watermarked Crown CA, printed by
Messrs. De la Rue and Co., for Antigua, were in use provisionally in
the Island of St. Christopher in 1890, and copies so used can be
distinguished by the postmark "A12" instead of "A02." Mr. W. W. Munn
has found three values of Antigua, the 1d., 6d. and 1s., apparently
used in St. Christopher, but Captain Hopkins states that no stamps
except the 1d. were properly used in St. Christopher although all
denominations were definitely authorised.

Concerning the use of Antiguan stamps in Barbuda, the small dependency
of Antigua, about twenty-five miles to the north, Mr. Harry E. Huber,
writing in the "Stamp Collectors' Fortnightly," states:—

"Prior to July 13th, 1922, there was no post office at Barbuda, but
Antigua[8] stamps were sold by the Anglican parson at Codrington to
the civil population for use on letters, packages, etc. These were
then handed in at the manager's office, placed in a bag along with the
official mail, and dispatched by the weekly mail sloop to St. John's.
Official correspondence (without stamps, of course) was postmarked
with an 'Official Paid' cancellation (a single-line circle, 25mm.
diameter, lettered 'Official Paid, Barbuda,' with the date in three
lines in [44]centre—*—JY 24—22), but the stamps on
the civil mail were not cancelled until it reached St. John's. This
procedure was in force prior to 1905, and as the present mail sloop
has been running for some twenty-five or thirty years, these postal
arrangements probably date from the early '90's.

"Leeward Islands postage stamps were valid for postage in Barbuda,[9] but the parson (Rev.
Humphrys) preferred and bought Antigua stamps from the Postmaster at
St. John's, and received the vendor's discount of five per cent. With
the issue of Barbuda/Leeward stamps, he discontinued selling Antigua
stamps. Although a dependency of Antigua, and the laws of Antigua
apply to it 'when not repugnant thereto,' Antigua stamps were not
valid in Barbuda during the currency of the overprinted stamps.
Consequent on the exhaustion of the overprinted Barbuda/Leeward stamps
(the right to have a special issue being ruled against by the
Secretary of State for the Colonies), the manager obtained from the
Treasury at St. John's supplies of stamps of the Federal series. Early
in 1926, the 2d. of the Federal series (Roman CA) exhausted at St.
John's, and it was necessary for the manager (who is also Postmaster)
at Barbuda to make use of the 2d. Antigua stamp, as this was a much
needed value, and represented the British Empire and U.S.A. letter
rate. This, however, has been reduced to 1½d., effective 1st
April, 1926, and it will require the use of another value of the
Antigua series at Barbuda, i.e., 1½d."

(NOTE:—From October, 1890, to June, 1903, the only postage
stamps used in Antigua were the contemporary issues of the Leeward
Islands Colony, which may be found with Antiguan postmarks.)

July 1903.—Surface-printed by De la Rue and Co. in sheets of 60
(12×5) from a key-plate (No. 1) bearing the Royal Arms and Seal
of Antigua, and duty-plates with the frame design and inscriptions.
Watermarked Crown CC. Perforated 14. Centre in first colour. (The 5s.
was printed from separate key and duty plates in a special design with
medallion of King Edward.)

1921-1927.—King's Head and Seal design. Engraved and printed by
De la Rue and Co. from electrotype plates of 120 (two panes) with
plate No 1 in bottom margins only. Values from 3d. upwards are
chalk-surfaced.

(NOTE:—Stamps of Great Britain issued prior to 1858 are
sometimes seen with the postmark "ANTIGUA" in block capitals, framed.
These were actually used at "Antigua Street," a Scottish sub-office of
the period [Edinburgh], soon after closed.)

The Post Office Act.

Whereas it is expedient, in conforming with the desire of Her
Majesty's Government, to take over and regulate by local enactment,
the Branch of the Imperial Post Office established in this Island.

Be it enacted by the Governor, the Council and Assembly, as
follows:—

1.—The Governor may appoint a Post Master for the City of Saint
John, and a Deputy Post Master for the Town of English Harbor.

2.—Each Post Master and Deputy Post Master shall, within
fourteen days after his appointment, give unto Her Majesty, her Heirs
and Successors, for the due and faithful performance of the duties of
his office, and for the payment of all Moneys, which shall come into
his hands, in his capacity aforesaid, a Security Bond binding himself
and two Sureties in such sums as shall be fixed by the Governor in
Council.

3.—The Post Master shall receive a Salary of One Hundred Pounds,
and the Deputy Post Master a Salary of Twenty Pounds, which said
salaries shall be inclusive of Clerk hire, if any, and shall be paid
quarterly, on the Warrant of the Governor to the Treasurer.

4.—The Post Master and the Deputy Post Master shall submit to
the Governor, for his approval, the Names of such Clerks as they may
desire to employ in the performance of the duties of their Offices.

5.—All persons employed in the Post Offices with the sanction of
the Governor shall be exempt from serving on any Jury or Inquest, or
in the Militia.[54]

6.—There shall be established in the City of Saint John a
General Post Office, and in English Harbor, a Branch Post Office, in
such Places as the Governor in Council shall direct.

7.—All letters, newspapers or parcels transmitted by Post to
this Colony for delivery therein, shall be delivered to the person to
whom the same may be addressed or to his Agent at the Post Office in
Saint John's, except such letters, newspapers or parcels be addressed
for delivery at English Harbor.

8.—The Post Offices shall be open between the hours of eight
o'clock in the morning and four o'clock in the afternoon, Sundays and
Holidays excepted; but if the mails shall arrive at the Post Office in
Saint John's after that hour, it shall be kept open for the delivery
of letters till eight o'clock, and when the Mails arrive, or are made
up on a Sunday, or on a Holiday, it shall be open from Eight to Ten in
the morning and from One to Three in the afternoon.

9.—No letter, newspaper or parcel coming from the United Kingdom
by Post, and delivered at Saint John's or English Harbor, and no
letter, newspaper or parcel posted at Saint John's or English Harbor
and sent to the United Kingdom, shall be liable to any other rate of
Postage than that charged by the Imperial Government; and the Post
Master and Deputy Post Master shall collect and receive the same in
all cases where the same shall be payable.

10.—On every letter brought to this Island by Post from any
place except the United Kingdom, and on every letter posted in this
Island for any place except the United Kingdom, there shall be charged
the following rates of Postage in addition to that charged by the
Imperial Government, viz.:—

For any sealed Letter or Package not exceeding
half an ounce
One penny

Exceeding half an ounce, but not exceeding
one ounce
Two pence

Exceeding one ounce, but not exceeding two
ounces
Four pence

and so on in progression, an additional two pence being charged for
every additional ounce or fraction of an ounce.

11.—On Printed Books, Pamphlets and other Publications, and
Manuscripts brought to this Island by Post from any place except the
United Kingdom, or posted in this Island for any place except the
United Kingdom, these shall be charged, if not exceeding one ounce,
one penny, and if exceeding one ounce, for every ounce beyond that
weight, one penny.

Provided Always,

First, that the said Printed Books, Pamphlets and other Publications
and Manuscripts shall be without a cover, or in a cover open at the
ends.[55]

Secondly, that there be no words or communications written upon any
part of the same, or upon any part of the cover thereof, except the
name and address of the person to whom the same shall be directed.

Thirdly, that there be no paper or thing enclosed within the same.

12.—It shall be lawful for the Post Master and the Deputy Post
Master to examine any Newspaper, any Printed Book, Manuscript,
Pamphlet or other Publication sent through the Post without a cover,
or in the cover open at the ends, in order to discover whether it
contains any letters, or in any other respect contravenes the
conditions hereby required to be observed; and in case any one of such
conditions has been transgressed, such Newspaper, Printed Book,
Manuscript, Pamphlet or other Publication shall be charged with the
postage to which a letter of the same weight would be liable.

13.—All letters posted in this Island shall be prepaid in money,
or by affixing thereon a Stamp, or Stamps of this Island to the value
of the Postage chargeable; and in all cases where any letter shall be
posted in this Island, without having thereon such stamp or stamps, or
having affixed thereto stamps the value of which is less than the
Postage to which such letter is liable, such letter shall not be
forwarded.

14.—The Post Master shall from time to time publish in the
Contract Newspaper, a notice of all letters which shall be posted,
without payment of the rates of Postage, payable in respect of the
same, specifying the address of such letters, and if the rates of
postage payable on the same shall not be paid within one calendar
month after the first publication of such notice, it shall be lawful
for the Post Master to open any such letter in which the rates of
postage payable in respect of the same shall not have been prepaid,
and it shall be the duty of the Post Master to return such letter to
the Writer thereof, if it be practicable to do so.

15.—Official letters and communications to or from Public
Offices marked "On Her Majesty's Service" and having the name and
Office of the person sending the same written on the left-hand corner
under the letter or communication shall be transmitted through and by
the Post free of postage. Provided always that every such letter shall
be on the Public Business of the Officer or Department from which the
same shall be forwarded, or to which the same shall be addressed, and
on no other subject.

16.—Postage shall not be payable on any letter addressed to or
sent by any private soldier or seaman employed in Her Majesty's
service.

17.—The Governor in Council shall from time to time cause to be
provided proper and sufficient Postage Stamps, or Dies,[56] or other implements, for expressing
and denoting the rates or Duties of Postage, and such Dies shall be
kept in such custody and such stamps shall be made or impressed from
such Dies, or other implements as the Governor in Council shall from
time to time, by writing under his hand, direct.

18.—It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council to appoint
such persons as he shall see fit to retail the Stamps denoting the
duties of postage on letters under such regulations as shall, from
time to time, be made by the Governor in Council.

19.—The trans-Atlantic and inter-colonial letter bills, and
necessary accounts to be kept with the General Post Office in London,
or with any Colonial Post Office, shall be kept in such manner, and
form, as is now or may hereafter from time to time, be directed by Her
Majesty's Post Master General; or in the absence of any such
direction, as may be ordered by the Governor in Council.

20.—The Post Master and Deputy Post Master respectively shall
keep a correct account of all Letters, Newspapers, and Packets,
passing through their respective Offices to and from the United
Kingdom, and to and from all other places, with the Postages paid
thereon, and fees received for letters posted after the time fixed for
the closing of the Mails. And on the first day of every month, or as
soon after as may be, they shall lay the same before the Governor, who
shall issue his Warrant to the Post Master authorising him to transmit
to the Receiver-General of the Post Office Revenue in London, the
proportion of Postage due on a debit and credit account to the
Imperial Post Office, and to pay the balance in his hands together
with the amount received by the Deputy Post Master to the Treasurer
for the Public uses of the Colony.

21.—The supervision and control of the Post Office shall be
vested in the Governor in Council, who shall have authority to fix the
hours for making up the Mails,—the fees for late
posting,—and to make such rules and regulations touching the
general administration thereof, as shall from time to time, be deemed
necessary.

22.—Any letter posted in this Island may be registered, and
there shall be charged for each letter so registered the sum of six
pence; but such registration shall not render the Post Master or
Deputy Post Master in any manner liable for the loss of any such
registered letter or the contents thereof.

23.—The Post Master and Deputy Post Master shall submit
quarterly to a Joint Committee of the Council and Assembly a full and
particular statement of the incidental expenses of their several
offices during the past Quarter; and upon the certificate of the said
Committee of the correctness of such incidental expenses, the Governor
shall issue his Warrant to the Treasurer for the payment of the same
respectively.[57]

24.—All unpaid duties of Postage receivable under the authority
of this Act may be sued for and received with full costs of suit
before a Justice of the Peace in a summary manner as in the case of
Servants' Wages, on complaint of the Post Master.

Dated at Antigua, the twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of Our
Lord, One thousand, eight hundred and sixty; and in the twenty-third
year of Her Majesty's Reign.

OLIVER NUGENT,Speaker.

Passed the Assembly the nineteenth day of April, One thousand,
eight hundred and sixty.

N. HUMPHRYS,Clerk of the Assembly.

Passed the Council the nineteenth day of April, One thousand,
eight hundred and sixty.

By Command,A. MUSGRAVE,Clerk of Council.

Duly published on the twenty-fourth day of April, One thousand,
eight hundred and sixty.

[6]
"It may have been observed that some stamps are printed
on thicker paper than others. This is only supposed to apply
to stamps printed by the steel or copper-plate process, as it
has been found that the wetting necessary in printing by this
process tries the thinner paper too much. The paper referred
to is about 25 per cent. thicker than the ordinary paper, and it
has been inadvertently used for printing the last two issues of
the large Antigua stamps."—"Colonial Office Journal," April,
1908.

[7]
Mr. Hughes notes that if we add the usual sales through the Crown
Agents to the above figures we get, in all: 1d. red, 240,000;
1½d. orange, 60,000; 2½d. blue, 18,000.

[8]
Captain Hopkins, who met the parson, Mr. Humphrys, in 1919,
states that he only stocked, at that time, Leeward Islands stamps.

[9]
Captain Hopkins emphasises that Leeward Islands stamps
were the only ones sold when he was in Barbuda in 1919, and
adds that he has never seen an Antigua stamp cancelled
Barbuda except the 2d. referred to by Mr. Huber as having
been used there early in 1926.